The word hem can be used both as a noun and as a verb. When you are using the word as a noun the meaning it conveys is that of the edge of a piece of fabric which is folded over and sewn. The folded part lies mostly on a piece of clothing. The following sentence can make the meaning clear in this context: You have taken up the hem of the dress. The abovementioned sentence says that you have made the dress shorter by making folds on it through the process of hemming.
The word also plays a part of an idiom and of a phrase. 'Hem and haw' is an idiom that is used mostly in America for a phenomenon of taking a long time before making a decision. You can also use the term 'hem somebody in' and it conveys the idea of surrounding somebody so that he can not move or grow easily.
The word also plays a part of an idiom and of a phrase. 'Hem and haw' is an idiom that is used mostly in America for a phenomenon of taking a long time before making a decision. You can also use the term 'hem somebody in' and it conveys the idea of surrounding somebody so that he can not move or grow easily.